Comments on: Batten #3: Science versus Wishful Thinking http://www.thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/ Pondering the South African Memesphere - Looking for the Good in Everything Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:43:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kenneth Oberlander http://www.thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6262 Kenneth Oberlander Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:18:34 +0000 http://thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6262 That Archaeopteryx quote is wrong on so many levels. The urvogel has a mixture of birdlike and non-birdlike characteristics, which is what we would expect from an hypothesis of bird-from-nonbird origins. What is amazing is that the non-bird characteristics of the non-bird ancestor are unfailingly dinosaurian...as for the precedes its ancestors comment, has the poor fool never heard of ghost lineages? As for his pathetic attempt at phylogenetics and family trees, all I can say is: meh. The good docter doesn't know a synapomorphy from a synapse. We don't have evidence for common ancestors in our trees because the real common ancestors almost NEVER fossilise! Instead, we infer what the true common ancestor looks like by examining the close relatives of this common ancestor that actually did fossilise. If he rejects this argument, then he must reject being related to his siblings, cousins, grandparents etc etc., and we could never predict his chances of having a particular characteristic by examining his close relatives. It is exactly the same argument. That Archaeopteryx quote is wrong on so many levels. The urvogel has a mixture of birdlike and non-birdlike characteristics, which is what we would expect from an hypothesis of bird-from-nonbird origins. What is amazing is that the non-bird characteristics of the non-bird ancestor are unfailingly dinosaurian…as for the precedes its ancestors comment, has the poor fool never heard of ghost lineages?

As for his pathetic attempt at phylogenetics and family trees, all I can say is: meh. The good docter doesn’t know a synapomorphy from a synapse. We don’t have evidence for common ancestors in our trees because the real common ancestors almost NEVER fossilise! Instead, we infer what the true common ancestor looks like by examining the close relatives of this common ancestor that actually did fossilise. If he rejects this argument, then he must reject being related to his siblings, cousins, grandparents etc etc., and we could never predict his chances of having a particular characteristic by examining his close relatives. It is exactly the same argument.

]]> By: Rinus http://www.thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6060 Rinus Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:32:01 +0000 http://thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6060 Lightning struck a tree in a plantation. As all trees are of equal age and length, the probability of hitting any tree is equal. But the probability than that specific tree would be hit is so small! You can prove it mathematically! Thus it must be due to some 'intelligent' interference!! Hugo, you are right! It MUST be a god throwing a thunderbolt in anger at that tree! (Not to mention the probability of someone winning the lotto. Yet someone does. 'God' does work in strange ways!) Lightning struck a tree in a plantation. As all trees are of equal age and length, the probability of hitting any tree is equal.

But the probability than that specific tree would be hit is so small! You can prove it mathematically! Thus it must be due to some ‘intelligent’ interference!!

Hugo, you are right! It MUST be a god throwing a thunderbolt in anger at that tree!

(Not to mention the probability of someone winning the lotto. Yet someone does. ‘God’ does work in strange ways!)

]]> By: Hugo http://www.thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6032 Hugo Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:15:25 +0000 http://thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6032 I went to bed too late last night. And then I was still lying awake, that half-awake half-asleep state, as a result of a mosquito. In that state, your mind sometimes starts mingling in dreams, or dream-emotions at least. Somehow my mind attached, to the mosquito, the emotion of some creationist or fundamentalist that just. won't. understand. what I'm trying to say, and I cannot figure out what wording to use, knowing I should rather just drop it, ignore it. Gaah, I hate mosquito's! I went to bed too late last night. And then I was still lying awake, that half-awake half-asleep state, as a result of a mosquito. In that state, your mind sometimes starts mingling in dreams, or dream-emotions at least. Somehow my mind attached, to the mosquito, the emotion of some creationist or fundamentalist that just. won’t. understand. what I’m trying to say, and I cannot figure out what wording to use, knowing I should rather just drop it, ignore it. Gaah, I hate mosquito’s!

]]> By: Pieter http://www.thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6021 Pieter Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:11:32 +0000 http://thinktoomuch.net/2008/03/17/batten-3-science-versus-wishful-thinking/#comment-6021 The creationist is huddling underneath the warm blanket of his favourite idea. The world is cold outside, radio-carbon dating makes no sense, just a few minutes longer... The creationist is huddling underneath the warm blanket of his favourite idea. The world is cold outside, radio-carbon dating makes no sense, just a few minutes longer…

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